1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of dielectric absorbers. More specifically, the invention relates to dielectric absorbers of electromagnetic radiation.
2. Background Art
In many applications, such as aviation applications, it can be desirable for a structure to be “invisible” to or undetectable. For example, aircraft invisible to electromagnetic radiation is less likely to be spotted on a radar system, which can be desirable in some applications. Conventional approaches have utilized oxide or dielectric absorbent coatings comprising ferromagnetic materials to reduce reflection of electromagnetic waves. However, a ferromagnetic material loses its characteristic ferromagnetic ability at temperatures above the Curie temperature for that material, causing the net magnetization of the ferromagnetic material to be zero.
In applications subjected to a broad temperature range including very high temperatures, such as up to 1100° C., it has proven very difficult to provide a dielectric absorber capable of uniformly absorbing electromagnetic radiation. For example, one conventional method for shielding an aircraft from electromagnetic radiation utilizes a single material dielectric absorber coated on the aircraft. However, many components of an aircraft can reach temperatures in excess of the effective electromagnetic absorption temperature, causing the absorber coating to be ineffective at absorbing electromagnetic radiation at that temperature. Furthermore, in applications subjected to a very broad temperature range, a single material dielectric absorber is ineffective at providing uniform electromagnetic radiation absorption over the entire temperature range.
Thus there is a need in the art for a high temperature dielectric absorber with a wider temperature range of electromagnetic absorption.